If Not Stocks, What?

by WALDEN GENE

• ISBN13: 9780071421492
• ISBN10: 0071421491
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-10
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Summary

Guidance for anxious stock market investors looking for alternative investmentsThe stock market's recent roller-coaster ride has many investors yearning for more stable, user-friendly investments, yet unable or unwilling to take the time to investigate the alternatives.If Not Stocks, What? offers a detailed look at the many vehicles available to individual investors, reviewing what they are, how they work, what to look for when purchasing them, and hundreds of other details to simplify the diversification process.Bestselling author Gene Walden approaches each investment vehicle from the premise that the reader knows little or nothing about it. Focusing on the basics, while asking and answering key questions on how to fit the vehicle into a long-term investment program, he discusses:Potential upsides and downsidesShort-term risks in comparison with stocksLong-term returns in comparison with stocks

Author Biography

Gene Walden is the bestselling author of more than 20 investment books, including The 100 Best Stocks to Own in America. He has been a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, and other prominent publications, and has been featured hundreds of times on CNBC, CNN, and other TV and radio programs and networks.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Beyond Stocks
REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)	1	(12)
High income, inflation hedge
Real Estate Limited Partnerships	13	(8)
High income, tax-sheltered
U.S. Savings Bonds (Series EE)	21	(8)
Safety and adjustable income
I Bonds (Series I U.S. Savings Bonds)	29	(8)
Safety and inflation-adjusted income
U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes	37	(8)
Safety and income
TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities)	45	(8)
Safety and inflation-adjusted income
U.S. Treasury Bills	53	(6)
Safety and low, short-term income
Strips and Other Zero-Coupon Bonds	59	(8)
Safety and capital appreciation
Municipal Bonds	67	(10)
Tax-exempt income
Muni Zeros (Zero-Coupon Municipal Bonds)	77	(8)
Tax-exempt capital appreciation
Mortgage-Backed Securities	85	(8)
Good income, low risk
Annuities	93	(8)
Tax-deferred income and capital appreciation
Corporate Bonds	101	(8)
Decent income, low risk
Junk Bonds	109	(8)
High income with risk
Convertible Securities	117	(8)
Income and capital appreciation
Bond Mutual Funds	125	(8)
Income and diversification
Stock Mutual Funds	133	(10)
Capital appreciation, income, and diversification
Certificates of Deposit	143	(6)
Income and safety
Unit Investment Trusts	149	(6)
Income or appreciation, low fees, and diversification
Hedge Funds	155	(10)
Capital appreciation-oriented, high risk, or risk-averse
Collectibles	165	(4)
Entertaining but unpredictable
Oil and Gas Investments	169	(6)
Income and capital appreciation with some risk
Precious Metals	175	(7)
Inflation hedge, slow growth
Stocks	182	(15)
Capital appreciation, income, diversification, and risk
Allocating Your Assets	197	(8)
Index	205